You can hardly listen to the news these days without an update on the rising number of measles cases in the United States. And while you may harbor concerns about exposure for your children or grandchildren, the reality is that some of us, especially those born in the late ’50s, may potentially need a new measles vaccine shot ourselves. If you were born prior to 1957, it’s highly likely you were exposed to measles and therefore have acquired lifelong immunity. If you were born after 1957 but before 1989 (when the current 2 dose protocol came into effect) there may be some question as to whether you received the live virus vaccination versus the killed virus vaccination. The best advice is to consult your physician- and recognize that it’s easy to get a measles immunity blood test to determine whether you have measles antibodies in your system. And if you’re still not sure? There’s no real downside to getting another booster shot– and there’s currently no shortage of the measles vaccine.

The shingles vaccine, however, is another matter. Way back in October 2017, we first told you about the new highly effective Shingrix vaccine. Turns out that it’s been so popular and effective that there are now serious shortages of Shingrix and it’s challenging to find locations where you can get the 2 dose vaccination. In fact, GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Shingrix, recently announced a big new push to scale up the supply of the vaccine. To find out more about both the shingles and measles vaccine recommendations, roll up your sleeve and read more here. And check out this more general update about adult vaccinations from NPR here.